Social Darwinism
by hpaddictedg
Summary: Neville Longbottom is dead - but who killed him? Was it the man that everyone suspects, or...someone else? Nothing is as it seems. [Drabble series; COMPLETE]
1. prologue

**A/N: **Full summary: _Neville Longbottom is dead – but who killed him? Was it the man that everyone suspects, the girl that always slips under the radar, the reluctant messiah of the wizarding world, or…someone else? Slight Blaise/Luna; implied Draco/Ginny.  
_This is a murder mystery, children (my favorite type of story); takes place early on in the war. That's all I can really tell you without giving everything away, but any confusing plot points will be explained.

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_Social Darwinism; Prologue_

**"RENOUNED HERBOLOGIST MURDERED!**

Neville Longbottom, a prominent figure in the field of Herbology, was found dead in his home yesterday. Longbottom was apparently asleep when hit with the Killing Curse. He will be greatly mourned by the community and by his family.

Two days after discovering his corpse, Aurors apprehended Longbottom's killer, who was at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley with a group of friends. The culprit was—"


	2. the man that won't let on

_Ronald Weasley; the man that won't let on_

"I don't know why I'm a suspect, really," Ron chuckled nervously to his father as he made himself a cup of hot cocoa. "I was at Diagon Alley with Ginny; you know that."

"I know," Arthur Weasley agreed, "but there must be some reason why they suspect you, Ron. Have you been up to anything illegal?"

"No way!" Ron insisted. "You know me. The only reason why they think it was me was because I wasn't home at the time."

Again, "I know." And, "I believe you." _But does he? _Ron wondered, before convincing himself that he did.

Later that night, Ron found himself in the basement, brewing more Polyjuice Potion - just the way Hermione had taught him to.

"Does this really could as 'anything illegal?" he wondered aloud to himself. "It's for a good reason, really…"

But who knows how far we might go when we become accustomed to doing such things?


	3. the man that everyone suspects

_Draco Malfoy; the man that everyone suspects_

"You really think I'd waste my time on that buffoon?" Draco snickered to Narcissa, who had come over especially for this supposed occasion. "Sorry, Mum. I know you wanted it to have been me, but…"

"Who was it, then?" Narcissa asked. She didn't believe him.

"How should _I_ know?" Draco questioned, raising an eyebrow. "_Father_, if anyone, should know."

"But he's in _prison_, darling; you know that," Narcissa sighed. "You're not very sensitive, Draco."

"I know he's in prison," Draco responded simply. Narcissa smiled a tight-lipped smile, and Draco averted his eyes.

"…But they think it was you," Narcissa said a few minutes later.

"Of _course_ they think it was me," Draco agreed. "But it wasn't me. Really."

"Fine," Narcissa said, heading for the door. "But if you want to tell me anythi-"

"I won't want to," Draco interrupted. Narcissa left.

Narcissa's doubts were understandable, Draco knew. He just wasn't the kind of boy you could trust – especially not with your life.


	4. the girl that always slips under the rad...

_Ginevra Weasley; the girl that always slips under the radar_

"Neville was my friend!" Ginny ranted to Bill. "The Ministry has _some_ nerve, dragging me in there like that and making me profess my innocence. What _fools!_" Bill rolled his eyes.

"_Breathe_," he insisted. "It wasn't anything personal, Gin. You were hanging around Neville's house; probably looked a bit suspicious, you know."

"How was _I_ supposed to know that he had just been murdered?" Ginny snapped. "Think about it, Bill. I'm not psychic, you know."

"Go home, Ginny," Bill sighed. "You're a murder suspect; you shouldn't be out in public like this."

"You jerk," Ginny muttered.

But she didn't go home.

* * *

"They think it was _you_?" he laughed, rolling his eyes at the girl.

"Mm-hmmm," she muttered. "Stupid, huh?"

"I don't know," he replied thoughtfully. "I really don't know about you sometimes…"


	5. the girl that could be an evil genius

_Hermione Granger; the girl that could be an evil genius_

"I don't understand it either, Ginny," Hermione said to her friend on their way to the funeral home. "It just doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't," Ginny agreed angrily. "I mean, you're _definitely_ not the type." Hermione didn't reply. They arrived.

The door to the funeral home had been left unlocked, and the pair crept inside. They quickly located the room that held the bodies.

"The Death Eaters have the Marks; see?" Hermione explained quietly. "I've done this before."

"I can tell," Ginny responded, already rolling up sleeves. And the pair went from body to body, checking for Dark Marks and taking strands of hair from the Death Eaters.

"It wasn't me," Hermione said suddenly.

"Definitely not," Ginny replied.

There was doubt in her voice.


	6. the girl with nothing left to lose

_Luna Lovegood; the girl with nothing left to lose_

The war changed her; it changed _everyone, _really.

* * *

"_Confess_, Lovegood," he snickered. 

"But it wasn't me!" she insisted again.

"You don't have to play games with me anymore," he hissed. "I won't say a word."

"Liar!" she spat. "And _I'm_ not playing games; _you_ are."

"That hurt," he flouted. "But you _can_ trust me, you know."

And then there was silence.

Because, after all, she was smart enough to know better, but naïve enough not to care.


	7. the man that no one notices

_Blaise Zabini; the man that no one notices_

"Can you _believe_ they think I'd waste my time?" Draco fumed. "From what I've heard, he was quite a low-ranking Auror. Why would I bother?"

"So you didn't kill him, then?" Blaise asked in feigned surprise.

"What have I just been explaining to you, Zabini?" Draco questioned, rolling his eyes. _"Idiot." _

"They questioned me, too, you know," Blaise said, to make conversation.

"Really?" Draco asked, sounding quite interested. "_You_ did it, huh?"

"Of course not," Blaise responded. And then, repeating Draco, "Why would I bother?"

"Dunno," Draco replied skeptically. "You tell me."

Blaise wondered what Draco was implying.


	8. the man that's supposed to save the worl...

_Harry Potter; the man that's supposed to save the world_

"Hey!" Harry said indignantly as the man grabbed his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Come with me," the man stated. "You're a suspect in the recent murder of Neville Longbottom."

"You're kidding me," Harry chuckled defensively. "Really, who sent you? Ron, Hermione, was it you? 'Cause this isn't funny…"

"I'm serious, sir," the man insisted dryly. "Now, if you'll just cooperate-"

"I _would_ cooperate," Harry snapped, "if you would just explain to me what's going on here."

"Cooperate," the man replied simply, "or there will be severe consequences." Harry cooperated.

Ron and Hermione watched on in horror, wondering if their actions had somehow contributed to this.


	9. epilogue

_Social Darwinism; Epilogue_

"—Harry Potter, who has long been considered mad on account of a mishap with an Unforgivable Curse at a young age. Potter is currently being held at Azkaban prison, where he is being questioned.

What drove Potter to murder a man that he once counted as a friend? At the moment, the killing is being attested to temporary, violent insanity. A person wearing a long, black cloak (who we now know to have been Potter), according to witnesses, broke Longbottom's door and entered the house. A scream was heard, and then there was "complete silence".

One witness, a Miss Cho Chang, sent immediately for the police. When the nature of the crime was discovered, the police thought it best to send a group of Aurors instead.

Mr. Potter is currently under investigation and will be tried next week."

Miles away, at her father's home, Luna Lovegood sat, drinking tea. A hip flash that she carried was filled with Polyjuice Potion, and in a robe pocket was her wand.

"Wonderful job," the Death Eater said to her.

"Thank you," she replied dreamily, taking another sip of tea. "Anything for you, Blaise."

"I know, darling," he replied.

Outside, the sun was setting, and the sky turned from blue to blood-red. The gravedigger hacked away at the land, preparing a final resting place for Neville's body. And, deep in the unforgiving confines of Azkaban prison, Harry Potter screamed out that he was innocent. No one believed him.

**The End**

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A/N:** See my Xanga (/notquitefate) for explanations (look for the entry with December 15th as the date). 


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